Our Team

Careers Leader — Mrs K Oakland, Kelly.oakland@consilium-at.com, 0191 580 4956

Deputy — Mrs C Lilley

Careers Advisor — Career Wave

Careers provision review date - July 2024

What we offer

Careers education and guidance programmes make a major contribution to preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of life. A planned progressive programme of activities supports them in choosing 14–19 pathways that suit their interests and abilities and help them to follow a career path and sustain employment throughout their working lives.

Here at Washington Academy, we strive towards:

• A stable careers programme
• Learning from career and labour market information
• Addressing the needs of each pupil
• Linking curriculum learning to careers
• Encounters with employers and employees
• Experiences of workplaces
• Encounters with further and higher education
• Personal guidance

As part of student entitlement, careers education, information, advice, and guidance is embedded across our curriculum, this involves guidance on labour market information, trends, decision-making & choices, employability, curriculum vitae support, application form support, support with interviews, and research techniques including career planning, and self-awareness questionnaires.

We also provide independent and impartial careers advice and guidance to all our Year 11 students on an individual basis where they have the opportunity to discuss post-16 options for further education, work-based routes, or employment. Students also visit colleges, sixth forms, and other training providers from year 7 all the way up to year 11. We run our careers programme regularly through tutor time for years 7-9 and via personal development lessons for year 10-11 students.

Every year 10 student has the opportunity to participate in a work experience week. Our students are provided with guidance to organise their own placement with support from their Head of Year, Form Tutor, through Personal Development lesson time and of course the careers team. Further details will follow about this year’s work experience week.

We participate in a range of external activities including college and university taster days. We have strong links with Sunderland, Newcastle, Gateshead, and New College Durham. We also hold our own annual Careers Fair inviting local Post-16 providers, large and small businesses, and the local university network. It's true COVID-19 has disrupted our programme of activities somewhat, but we are working hard to think of new ways to do things safely.

The impact of our Careers offer is measured using student/parent evaluations of our provision, which includes regular suggestions. We track and monitor our student's intended destinations and tailor our provision towards this.

What are we part of?

Washington Academy is one of 40 schools that make up the North East Careers Hub. This provides us with access to additional resources, support from business providers, and further training and network opportunities within the Careers Hub.

This information is reviewed and updated annually at the end of each academic year.

Baker Clause Policy Statement

Washington Academy uses the Gatsby Benchmarks as a guide to plan our careers provision. As part of our commitment to informing our students of the full range of learning and training pathways on offer to them, we are happy to consider requests from training, apprenticeship and vocational education providers to speak to students.

Washington Academy also proactively seek to build relationships with these partners as we plan our careers provision throughout the school year to ensure that providers have multiple opportunities to speak to students and their parents across years 7- 11, to offer information on vocational, technical and apprenticeship qualifications and pathways. Washington Academy ensures that Academy staff involved in personnel guidance and pastoral support are up to date on their knowledge of these post 16 and post 18 pathways, through a programme of Continuing Professional Development.

Opportunities for providers to speak with students may include school assemblies, employer and provider engagement events or opportunities to speak with students and parents. Washington Academy’s careers provision is monitored for quality and impact by the Academy’s Senior Leadership and Governance Teams and monitoring for access to and opportunities to engage with, technical, vocational and training providers will form part of this process.

In the first instance, requests by providers should be sent to the Academy’s Director of Personal Development, Kelly Oakland at Kelly.oakland@consilium-at.com. All requests will be considered on the basis of; staffing availability to support the activity, clashes with other planned activity, trips or visits to the Academy, interruption to preparation for examinations or rooming and space availability to host the activity. For questions on this or Washington Academy’s careers provision, please contact the Academy’s Director of Personal Development, Kelly Oakland at Kelly.oakland@consilium-at.com

Useful Links and websites The National Careers Service (www.nationalcareersservice.co.uk)

The NCS provides information, advice, and guidance to help students make decisions on learning, training, and work opportunities. The service offers confidential and impartial advice and is supported by qualified careers advisers. You can chat with an adviser using webchat (8 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week). Or you can call 0800 100 900 to speak to an adviser (8 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week). Calls are free from landlines and most mobile numbers. Icould (www.icould.com)

Get ideas for your future with free career videos, job information, plus advice on career options and the world of work. iCould provides career inspiration and information for young people through free access to over 1000 personal video stories, detailed job information, plus practical tips, insight, and advice.

The Amazing Apprenticeships website offers a wealth of opportunities for students to explore various career paths through engaging webinars. These sessions cover a wide range of industries, providing insights into different apprenticeships and career options. Whether your child is interested in technology, healthcare, engineering, or creative sectors, the website hosts regular webinars featuring industry experts, offering invaluable guidance and inspiration for those looking to start their professional journeys. Please take the time to look at the website—it’s an excellent resource for exploring future careers and making informed decisions.

Amazing Apprenticeships website (www.amazingapprenticeships.org.uk)

A well-resourced website with lots of up-to-date information about apprenticeships.

UK Government apprenticeship website (www.apprenticeships.gov.uk)

A website designed for apprenticeship seekers with a great local search facility. It also contains some great information for parents and carers.

Sunderland College (www.sunderland college.ac.uk)

Newcastle College (www.ncl-coll.ac.uk)

Gateshead College (www.gateshead.ac.uk)

New College Durham (www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk)

SETA — Engineering training provider — (www.seta.ac.uk)

Durham 6th Form Centre (www.durhamsixthformcentre.org.uk)